British smokers will be provided with free electronic cigarettes as a replacement for traditional cigarettes.
As part of an experiment, the government of the ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire (which includes Peterborough) is proposing to distribute electronic devices to smokers instead of tobacco cigarettes. Officials believe that this will help arrive at a structured solution to the problem and also provide time to assess whether this approach improves success rates in smoking cessation strategies.
The authorities justify their decision by referring to numerous studies conducted by scientists, which indicate that the vapour from e-cigarettes has a much lesser impact on the lungs compared to cigarette smoke. There is also an evidence base showing that electronic devices assist in overcoming tobacco addiction.
The City Council of Peterborough, together with local authorities in Cambridgeshire, has applied for funding for the project. However, officials have noted that there is a risk of increased smoking rates in Fenland (a town in Cambridgeshire) due to the high number of homeless individuals. According to conducted research, cities with high poverty rates tend to have high smoking rates.
Despite plans to encourage vaping among smokers in the future, the issue of teenage vaping remains a pressing concern in society. Therefore, the Integrated Care Board and the City Council of Peterborough are planning to establish an expanded school campaign to combat smoking and vaping.
The authorities' proposal also suggests conducting more frequent random checks of retail outlets to penalize sellers who illegally sell vapes to teenagers. Last year, only nine out of 42 stores in Peterborough were inspected by the council's trading standards service, and violations were found in four of them.
Currently, the statistics on smokers show little significant change: approximately 14% of the population in Peterborough and 29% in Fenland, which is the highest rate in the country, are smokers.
According to the authorities' report, smoking costs Peterborough £72.5 million per year (over $91 million), encompassing expenses incurred by healthcare and social welfare services.